FEMA loads are interesting. It's pretty well organized for the most part and HOS rules go on the back burner. It's one of the rare times a driver can run their butt off and make a ton of money because of a disaster or emergency. Granted, it's more about getting people the help they need but as far as revenue, the loads pay well and the detention / layover pay is through the roof.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

Before I got into trucking, I knew a lady who worked as part of a husband/ wife driving team doing FEMA contracts. She absolutely loved the work and said she was really, really happy with the money they made.

I don't know anything about their DOT permit/ authority situation.

DOT:

Department Of Transportation

A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.

State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.

I knew the HOS pretty much went out the window for those loads. Not to relight the HOS debate, but I wonder what the accident rate is on FEMA loads?

I didn't know if the agency had to approve the drivers or perhaps only those with TWIC cards could run them.

TWIC:

Transportation Worker Identification Credential

Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.

Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.

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